Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-11-14
mURDERED IN A cORNruELD.
An Elderly Woman Killed for Her
MOneY.Her.SOn.in. Arrested.

frightful murder has occurred at KNOXVILLE, a
day Geo. NJ. C. Durham and his mother in-law,
Barbara HANDLE, a woman Of sixty, were in a corn
field husktng core. On Friday Durham reported
to his neighbors that his mother-in-law was miss
Ing and asked them to join him In the search for
her. He said he had left her In the field Thursday
morning and had gone TO an adjoining village
Returning on Friday ne had not found her, and
the Indications were that she had not been in the
house at all
Two men Joined Durham in the search They
soon found Mrs Handles dead body near the shock
OF corn which she had been husking on Thursday
with Durham. Blood was all about, and the soft
ground showed marks OF a struggle. When they
1rst saw the body lying among the cornstalks,
Durham turned TO go the other way and refused
for a while to approach the body. The woman had
fallen on her knees. with her body bent over her
arms and her face lying partly In the sand and
partly In ,t the &c, cSrn,h h Her body was as
four places, from which the blood had
flowed and matted and dyed her locks OF silver
with rabbit shot, which had gone clear through
II, penetrating her left side and neck. corn-stalk
lay at her side completely severed by the shot,
while over her body hung another stalk burned
The body lay within 3 feet of the fence, and on
the bars were the marks OF the bloody fingers OF
the wOman'S right hand while all around were
blood-stained stalks and husks Of corn, as though
struggle had taken place. In the hand OF the
IL,
with which the woman had been husking corn.
The murderer had come upon his victim unawares;
had placed the gun upon fence rail- not feet
away, and had aimed for her heart striking In
stead her arm. The woman had undoubtedly
risen when her brutal murderer had jumped the
fence and dubbed her on the head with the stock
OF the gun. In falling she had cutched the fence
rail and struggled 10 get up. over the right ear
was a cut as though made with the hammer OF the
gun, large enough for man to run his thumb in;
two other cuts were on the top OF the head, as
though made with the butt Of the gum and right
at the base OF the brain a triangular fracture
which had caused her death.
Dunham'S strange conduct led to his arrest for
the crime BY means OF threats and persuasion
his neighbors induced him to notify the coroner,
and in The evening an inquest was held. Durham
told the coroner the same story he had told his
neighbors about his leaving the old lady in the field
on Thursday and driving to a neigh6oring town,
whence he did not return until the next day. lie
said he had taken his wife and little girl TO the
station at clayton on wednesday, and gave them
they had gone to visit her cousin, a niece OF the
murdered woman. On being questioned closely,
he made contradictory statements, and showed
up In the woodbury. jail. He tainted during
the inquest: His gun and shot pouch could
not be found nor could his working
blood leading from the scene OF the murder TO the
house. Durham Is said to have had numerous
disagreements with his mother-in-law The MUIR
dered woman possessed property and money
amounting to several thousand dollars and Dun
hams wife was her only heir. The detectives
IOunu InlnBS IN CONFUSION at the mouse, Dut NJ
valuableS were found. Durham expressed the
opinion that former husband Of his wife had
committed the crime. The detectives suspect that
Durham killed his mother-n-law that his wife
might come into possession OF her property, and
that his gun and bloody clothing may be found In
well near the house.
Yesterday, in huge pile OF cornstalks on Bar.
Dara Handles farm, were found bloody evidences
OF the terrible murder committed last Thursday.
They were the old coat and vest OF George NJ. {.
Durham. Blood stains were found on the left
wristband OF Dunhams checkered Bingham shirt
Very vigorous efforts have been made to wash out
the stains, but the marks remain